Early life

Baio was born in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City, the son of Mario Baio, who worked as his manager, and Rose, a homemaker. He is of Italian descent.

Career

In 1976, Baio played the title character Bugsy Malone in the cult children's gangster musical directed by Alan Parker, which also co-starred Jodie Foster. Baio and Foster later worked together again in the teen girl drama Foxes (1980), helmed by Adrian Lyne. When he was 16, Baio was cast as The Fonz's cousin Chachi Arcola on Happy Days. During his time on Happy Days, Baio earned two Emmy Award nominations, for his lead performances in the television movies Stoned (1981) and All the Kids Do It (1985). He won two Young Artist Awards during the Third Annual Youth in Film Awards (1980-1981) as Best Young Actor in a Television Special for Stoned and Best Young Comedian in Television or Motion Pictures for Happy Days. He also starred in the made-for-television youth drama specials The Boy Who Drank Too Much with Lance Kerwin and Senior Trip with Mickey Rooney.

In 1982, Baio was in a spin-off of Happy Days entitled Joanie Loves Chachi with Erin Moran, which lasted only seventeen episodes. That same year, he appeared opposite another popular teen actor, Willie Aames from the ABC series Eight Is Enough, in the 1982 film Zapped!, along with Heather Thomas and Felice Schachter, and recorded an album for RCA (he also recorded a second album The Boys Are Out Tonight the following year). During this same period, he also starred with Danny Aiello and undertook the lead role of Francis Geminiani in the special HBO cable television presentation of Gemini, an adaptation of the Broadway comedy-drama Happy Birthday, Gemini by the award-winning playwright Alberto Innauranto. From 1984 until 1990, Baio starred in the syndicated comedy series Charles in Charge. In 1985, he was part of an ensemble cast for Alice in Wonderland, where he portrayed Pat the Pig. From 1987 through 1991, he was a director of the children's comedy series Out of This World.

During the 1990s, Baio appeared in various television programs, including the short-lived Look Who's Talking small screen spin-off Baby Talk. In 1991, he joined Diana Muldaur and Ally Walker in the NBC Monday Night Movie Perry Mason and the Case of the Fatal Fashion, as a young prosecutor. Between 1993 and 1995, he portrayed Dr. Jack Stewart in the medical mystery series Diagnosis: Murder starring Dick Van Dyke. Baio was a guest-star on many series, including Full House, Touched by an Angel, Veronica's Closet and The Nanny. He was also in a number of television series and commercials. He also starred in several films on television and video releases such as Detonator, Bar-Hopping, Dumb Luck, Face Value and Danielle Steel's Mixed Blessings.

Baio's other movies include the independent films Very Mean Men (2000), Face to Face (2001) and The Bread, My Sweet (2001). Very Mean Men was a comedy directed by Tony Vitale about a mob war between two families. Baio served as a co-producer with his older brother Steven on said film, and even played the crucial role of impetuous crime scion Paulie Minnetti, who unwittingly instigates the crime feud.

Face to Face (renamed Italian Ties) was a comic drama directed by Ellie Kanner about three young men (Scott Baio as Richie, Thomas Calabro as Philly, and Carlo Imperato as Al) who kidnap their emotionally distant fathers for a weekend of genuine bonding. Baio co-wrote the screenplay with Jeffrey L. Gurian. The movie won the Audience Prize for Best Comedy at the Marco Island Film Festival, the Silver Screen Accolade in the Reno Film Festival, and the 10 Degrees Hotter Best Feature Award during The Valley Film Festival.

The Bread, My Sweet (retitled A Wedding for Bella) was a romance film directed by Melissa Martin and produced by Adrienne Wehr. Baio portrayed Dominic Pyzola, a corporate raider during the day, and a pastry chef at night. He earned three Best Lead Actor prizes in the Atlantic City Film Festival, the Kansas City Halfway to Hollywood Film Festival and the San Diego Film Festival. The movie itself collected top accolades from the Santa Monica, Stony Brook, Marco Island, Houston World Festival, and Iowa Hardacre Film Festival.

In 2005, Baio played himself in the Wes Craven film Cursed. Baio was also in the Emmy Award-winning comedy series Arrested Development as the madcap Bluth family's serious but overpaid lawyer, Bob Loblaw (pronounced similar to "Ba-bla-bla", a running joke). He took over the role of the clan's legal counselor from former Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler in four episodes: "Forget Me Now", "Notapusy", "Mr. F" and "Making a Stand". The Online Film and Television Association nominated him as Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

In August 2006, Baio was formally invited by the AIA Actors Studio to discuss his professional experiences in television and movies. He talked about his own acting career plus his recent forays into writing, directing and producing. In 2007, Baio starred in the successful VH1 celebrity reality series Scott Baio Is 45...and Single and its successor the following year, Scott Baio Is 46...and Pregnant. Baio was also the co-host of the VH1 reality show Confessions of a Teen Idol, in which former teen idols attempt to resurrect their careers.

Baio is the star and producer of the Nick at Nite situation comedy See Dad Run, a show about a former actor's life as a stay-at-home-dad. The show debuted on October 6, 2012. Happy Days creator/producer Garry Marshall was a guest star in a November 2013 episode. That same month, Baio appeared as a guest star in the television program Sam & Cat (broadcast on Nickelodeon, the sister channel of Nick at Nite) as the police officer that arrested the girls.

Personal life

In 2001, Baio and then-girlfriend, Jeanette Jonsson, got engaged and were still discussing marriage in 2005.

In 2007, shortly after the birth of their daughter, Baio married then 34 year old Renee Sloan, whom he had met in the 1990s at the Playboy Mansion. Baio is stepfather to Renee's daughter, Kayln, born in 1989. In July 2007, he told E!: Entertainment Television's Ted Casablanca that they were expecting a baby girl in December. Initially pregnant with twins, Renee lost one of the babies at 11 weeks gestation. Their daughter, Bailey, was born in 2007, five weeks premature. After testing false positive for a rare metabolic disorder, the family started the Bailey Baio Angel Foundation to provide financial support to other families who are dealing with metabolic disorders. Renee Baio was diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor in June 2015.

He is cousin to former actor Jimmy Baio, and second cousin to Vampire Weekend band member Chris Baio.

Politics

Baio has voiced that his politics are conservative. He is a registered Republican.

Baio campaigned for Ronald Reagan in his youth and also attended Reagan's state funeral. The New York Daily News published Michelle Caruso's article "A Goodbye as the Sun Sets in the West" (June 12, 2004) which mentioned Baio, who had been seated near former UK Prime Minister Lady Thatcher. In the article, he was quoted saying "President Reagan made me feel proud to be an American. Today, I feel sadness."

In April 2010, Baio posted a controversial political statement on his Twitter account. His posting, "Taxes are DONE...That should feed, house & provide medical for a few lazy non working people at my expense. Have a great Monday!" was picked up by the blog Jezebel, and the heated web-based discussion between Baio, his wife, the Jezebel.com authors, Jezebel readers and Baio fans received outside coverage.

In 2012, Baio endorsed Mitt Romney for president. In 2016, Baio endorsed Donald Trump.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1976	Bugsy Malone	Bugsy
1979	Skatetown, U.S.A.	Richie
1980	Foxes	Brad
1982	Zapped!	Barney Springboro
1987	I Love N.Y.	Mario Cotone
1998	Detonator	Zack Ramses
2000	Very Mean Men	Paulie Minetti	Also associate producer
2001	A Wedding for Bella	Dominic	Formerly titled The Bread, My Sweet
2001	Italian Ties	Richie	Also writer; formerly titled Face to Face
2002	Face Value	Barry Rengler
2003	Dumb Luck	Steve Hitchcock
2004	Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2	Stan Bobbins
2005	Cursed	Himself

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1977	Blansky's Beauties	Anthony DeLuca	13 episodes
1977-84	Happy Days	Chachi Arcola	130 episodes
1977	The Love Boat	Graham D. Pickrel II	Episode: "Ex Plus Y/Golden Agers/Graham and Kelly"
1978	The Runaways	Tommy	Episode: "No Prince for My Cinderella"
1978-79	Who's Watching the Kids?	Frankie 'the Fox' Vitola	11 episodes
1979	Fantasy Island	Rob 'Robbie' Collins	Episode: "Amusement Park/Rock Stars"
1980	The Boy Who Drank Too Much	Buff Saunders	Movie
1980	Goodtime Girls	Tommy	Episode: "Growing Pains"
1980	Here's Boomer	Ronald	Episode: "Overboard"
1980	ABC Afterschool Special	Jack Melon	Episode: "Stoned"
1980	Senior Trip	Roger Ellis	Movie
1982	Gemini	Francis Geminiani	Movie
1982-83	Joanie Loves Chachi	Chachi Arcola	Lead role (17 episodes)
1983	Hotel	Nick Tomasino	Episode: "Faith, Hope & Charity"
1984	CBS Schoolbreak Special	Buddy Elder	Episode: "All the Kids Do It"
1984-90	Charles in Charge	Charles	Lead role (126 episodes); also director, 36 episodes, writer, 1 episode
1985	The Fall Guy	Merrick Thorson	Episode: "Femme Fatale"
1985	Alice in Wonderland	Pat the pig	Movie
1986	The Truth About Alex	Brad Stevens	Movie
1988	My Two Dads	Scott Cameo	Episode: "She'll Get Over It"
1988-89	Out of This World	Scott Gold / Prince Cornelius	3 episodes; also director, 11 episodes
1989	Full House	Pete Bianco	Episode: "Dr. Dare Rides Again"
1991	Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion	Asst. D.A. Peter Whelan	Movie
1991-92	Baby Talk	James Halbrook	23 episodes; also director, 1 episode
1993	Jack's Place	Woody B. King	Episode: "The Hands of Time"
1993-95	Diagnosis Murder	Dr. Jack Stewart	41 episodes
1995	Mixed Blessings	Charlie Winwood	Movie
1996	Can't Hurry Love	Matt	2 episodes
1997	Rewind	Rob DiPaulo	1 episode aired
1998	The Nanny	Dr. Frankie Cresitelli	Episode: "Rash to Judgment"
2000	Veronica's Closet	Kevin	2 episodes
2000	Bar Hopping	Damian	Movie
2001	Touched By an Angel	Frank McCovey	Episode: "A Death in the Family"
2005-13	Arrested Development	Bob Loblaw	5 episodes
2006	Van Stone: Tour of Duty	Lt. Perry	Movie
2008	Scott Baio Is 45...and Single	Himself	Reality (8 episodes)
2008	Finish Line	Frank Chase	Movie
2009	Confessions of a Teen Idol	Himself/host	8 episodes
2012-14	See Dad Run	David Hobbs	55 episodes; also executive Producer, 45 episodes
2014	Sam & Cat	Officer Kelvin	Episode: "#MagicATM"
2014	A Fairly Odd Summer	Foop	Movie

Director

Year	Series	Episode(s)
1987-90	Charles in Charge	36 episodes
1989-91	Out of This World	11 episodes
1989	The New Lassie	"Dangerous Party"
1992	Baby Talk	"Warren Piece"
1991	The Family Man	"A Tiny Advantage"
1991	Harry and the Hendersons	"Halloween"
1992	Baby Talk	"Warren Piece"
1993	Shaky Ground	3 episodes
1995	Kirk
1996	The Wayans Bros.	4 episodes
1996-97	The Jamie Foxx Show	5 episodes
1997	Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher	"Pain in the Schneck"
1998	Guys Like Us
1998	Malcolm & Eddie	"Silenced Partner"
1998	Unhappily Ever After	"I Know What You Did in the Closet"
1998	The Parkers	"Three's a Shag"

[ Source: Wikipedia ]